AI's Impact on the Music Industry
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming many aspects of daily life, including music and entertainment. The technology has prompted a significant push for stronger protections within the music industry, as AI companies face multiple lawsuits over alleged copyright infringement.
Legendary music producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the creative geniuses behind many pop and R&B hits, are now speaking out about the challenges AI poses to the music industry. Their concerns stem from AI's ability to potentially replicate and manipulate artists' existing works without proper authorization.
"It's a new day. It's a new technology. Needs to be new rules," Lewis said.
He said AI could take a song or a body of work and use it to create a song with all the data it has.
"So like. if all of a sudden someone took Janet [Jackson] and did a version of her voice and put it over a song," Jimmy Jam explained. "If she said, 'Yes, that's fine' and she's participating in it, that's different than if somebody just takes it ... and right now there's really no regulation."
Senators Coons and Blackburn Propose "No Fakes Act" to Protect Artists
U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Marsha Blackburn have collaborated on a bipartisan legislation called the "No Fakes Act" to address concerns regarding the unauthorized replication of artists' voices and visual likenesses. The proposed act aims to hold individuals, companies, and platforms accountable for reproducing performances without permission.
Blackburn emphasized the need for penalties to ensure productive progress, stating, "You've got to put some penalties on the books so that we can move forward productively."
Coons highlighted that the No Fakes Act would draw inspiration from existing state laws and establish a national standard to protect artists' rights.
The motivation behind this legislation stems from incidents like the unauthorized AI-generated song featuring Drake and The Weeknd, which garnered millions of views before being taken down.
AI Plays a Positive Role in Music Industry with Beatles Song Restoration
AI technology has also demonstrated its positive influence in the music industry. An AI software was instrumental in reviving the Beatles song "Now and Then." The track, originally a demo by the late John Lennon, was refurbished using AI and released in 2023 with the endorsement of the surviving Beatles.
Jimmy Jam, a prominent figure in the music industry, emphasized the importance of ensuring fair usage of AI technology in music production.
